1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to painting equipment, more particularly, to caddies for protecting paint brushes between uses.
2. Description of the Related Art
The most common device for applying paint is a paint brush. The cost of a paint brush can vary depending on the material from which the bristles are made. Many professional painters today use high quality paint brushes with substantial costs. Thus, in order to prolong brush life and reduce equipment costs, painters take care of their expensive paint brushes. After a paint brush has been used, a painter cleans the brush in an appropriate solution to remove all of the existing paint. Sometimes, after cleaning, the bristles randomly separate. Also, when not in use, the brush may be placed in a tool box or chest, on a work bench, or in another area where tools, sides of the box, and other items can bend, distort, or otherwise damage the bristles. This distortion of the bristles becomes an issue when the painter needs to use the brush again and the edges of the brush are not uniformly aligned. When the bristles are bent or distorted, it is difficult to achieve the desired finish and a new brush is needed.
There are a quite a number of brush covers disclosed in the prior art. Examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 224,913; 2,004,320; 3,981,399; 4,847,939; 5,244,090; 6,199,694; 6,338,406; and 6,450,336. While the devices disclosed in these patents may accomplish their stated objectives to varying degrees, they each have their shortcomings. Those covers made of paper products are not reusable, since they soak up the brush cleaner and become weakened and distorted. Some are made of metal, requiring hinges and/or multiple components that increase the manufacturing cost. Others are meant to hang with the bristles pointing upwardly, causing the cleaning fluid to flow into the ferrule portion of the brush. Still others are intended to keep the brush moist, rather than to let it dry. Consequently, there is a need for a device that maintains the brush bristles in their proper shape and orientation, while permitting the bristles to dry. There is also a need for such a devise that is economical to manufacture and easy to use, in the sense of permitting easy and rapid insertion and removal of the brush.